Family history attributes and risk factors for breast cancer in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: When dealing with breast cancer, early detection is closely associated with determining and closely monitoring high risk groups. The aim of this study was to determine the preventable risk factors that are specific for our country, and to understand which risk factors were most predominant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was planned as a case-control design. Women diagnosed with breast cancer who visited the Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Radiation Oncology outpatient clinics of the Izmir Dokuz Eylul University (DEU) School of Medicine were accepted as the case group. Then a control group matched for age was established among females who visited the outpatient clinics on the same days. A questionnaire prepared by the researchers was implemented using a face-to-face interview technique. The Mann-Whitney U test was used in the comparisons of the group averages, and the Pearson chi-square test in the comparisons between groups. In order to determine the dominant risk factors, binary logistical regression test was implemented. RESULTS: A total of 138 patients, 69 cases and 69 controls, were included in the study. A significant difference can be detected between the groups in terms of BMI, smoking, breast cancer prevalence among first degree family members, presence of breast cancer among distant family members, existence of other types of cancers among family members and the age of onset of menopause (p<0.05). Logistical regression analysis revealed that the presence of breast cancer among first degree relatives increased the risk of developing breast cancer 5.7 times. CONCLUSIONS: Although some results of this study are compatible with findings in the literature, some are not. In order to determine unique risk factors, there is a clear need for large-scale studies.

Serum IGF-1 levels correlate negatively to liver damage in diabetic rats.

Diabetes and insulin resistance frequently cause liver damage. Diabetes also causes reduction in liver and blood IGF-1 levels. We investigated the relation between liver damage and IGF-1 levels in diabetic rats. Fourteen Wistar albino rats were divided into control and diabetic groups. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin. Rats were sacrificed for biochemical and histologic examinations 2 weeks after streptozotocin injection. Serum and liver IGF-1 levels were decreased, liver malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were increased, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzymes activities were decreased and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were increased in diabetic group. Microscopic examination of liver revealed that normal tissue organization was disrupted in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. There was a strongly positive correlation between blood glucose levels and liver injury, and blood and liver IGF-1 levels. There was a strongly negative correlation between blood IGF-1 levels and hepatic injury. Our results suggest that reduction of blood IGF-1 levels correlates with hepatic injury and circulating IGF-1 levels may have predictive value for determining hepatic damage that results from diabetes. In addition, circulating IGF-1 levels are correlated with glutathione levels and the oxidative stress status of diabetic rat liver.